Parallel data transmission through segmented waveguides of large diameter

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a fiber optic rotary joint comprised of multiple segmented waveguides. Each of the multiple segmented waveguides is located on the stator. The segmented waveguides are circumferentially spaced from each other. Spaces between the segmented waveguides are non-reflective. Each of the segmented waveguides has an optical pickup. There are a plurality of optical transmitters located on the rotor. In the preferred embodiment there are sixteen transmitters with eight transmitters transmitting at one time and eight transmitters turned off at that time.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A fiber optic rotary joint, comprising: a first plurality of optical waveguide segments attachable to a stator, each of said optical waveguide segments has an optical pickup; a second plurality of optical transmitters is each located on a rotor and rotatable therewith; a position determining device for determining a circumferential location of at least one of said plurality of optical transmitters during rotation thereof; a switch for routing each optical signal transmitted from said second plurality of optical transmitters to be received by respective ones of said optical pickups. 
     
     
       2. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , wherein said position determining device is one of an encoder and a resolver. 
     
     
       3. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , wherein said first plurality of optical waveguides comprises eight, and each of said first plurality of waveguides extends approximately 22.5° and is spaced approximately 22.5° from each of the adjacent waveguides. 
     
     
       4. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , wherein each of said waveguide segments receives an optical signal having a data rate of 500 Mbps. 
     
     
       5. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , wherein a total data rate of the fiber optic rotary joint is 4 Gbps. 
     
     
       6. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , wherein said second plurality of optical transmitters comprises sixteen transmitters. 
     
     
       7. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , wherein said second plurality of optical transmitters is twice the number of said first plurality of optical receivers. 
     
     
       8. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , wherein eight serial data streams are transmitted through the fiber optic rotary joint. 
     
     
       9. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , wherein a parallel data stream is transmitted through the fiber optic rotary joint. 
     
     
       10. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , further comprising an input buffer connected to each of said plurality of optical transmitters. 
     
     
       11. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , further comprising a wave division multiplexer for providing sixteen bit optical signals to each of the optical transmitters. 
     
     
       12. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 11 , wherein each of said optical pickups receives a data rate of 2 Mbps. 
     
     
       13. A method of transmitting multiple optical signals through a fiber optic rotary joint having a first plurality of segmented waveguide segments on a stator, with each of the segmented waveguide segments having an associated optical receiver and a second plurality of optical transmitters on a rotor, comprising: 
       determining a position for each of the second plurality of optical transmitters during rotation of the rotor;  
       routing based upon the position of the plurality of optical transmitters, each of the multiple optical signals to a predetermined one of the segmented waveguides.  
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , comprising switching some of the second plurality of optical transmitters on the other of the second plurality of optical transmitters off. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the multiple optical signals is one of a serial data stream and a parallel data stream. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , comprising buffering the optical signal before transmission. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein alternate ones of the second plurality of optical transmitters are switched on. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising receiving the multiple optical signals at each of the predetermined optical receiver. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , comprising reflecting optical signals off the segmented waveguide into an optical receiver. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 13 , comprising absorbing reflected optical signals non-reflective segments between segmented waveguides. 
     
     
       21. The fiber optic rotary joint of  claim 1 , wherein said switch routes optical signals during rotation of said rotor.